Posted on 01/15/2008 9:53:37 AM PST by MplsSteve
The Lutherans of Lake Wobegon would most likely fume in silence, but Garrison Keillor, creator of the fictional town and among St. Paul's most famous citizens, isn't being quite so quiet.
Keillor and his wife, Jenny Lind Nilsson, are suing their next-door neighbor, Lori Anderson, to stop her from building a two-story addition to her home that would include a three-stall garage and studio.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Ramsey County District Court, claims the addition would "obstruct the access of light and air to the Nilsson-Keillor property" and "impair or destroy protected historical resources."
Both homes in the 400 block of Portland Avenue are within the Ramsey Hill historic district.
The complaint also said the project would obstruct their view "of open space and beyond" and possibly hurt property value. The estimated market value a year ago for Keillor's home was about $1.2 million, according to property tax records; Anderson's was about $600,000.
The city also is named a defendant in the documents, which said Keillor and his wife were not notified of public hearings before a zoning variance was approved and the project was OK'd by the Heritage Preservation Commission.
'We were heartsick'
Anderson, who has owned her home since 1999 and lives there with fiancé Paul Olson, said Monday that Keillor and his wife have been good neighbors and that she is wary of offending them.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
It sounds like Keillor is being a little unreasonable here.
But I'd like any reasonable (or even a few unreasonable opinions about this sort of thing.
Does Keillor have a point here - our visceral dislike of his liberal sanctimoniousness aside?
Comments or opinions - anyone?
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typical lib- “love the world”, hate your neighbor.
If I were Anderson, I'd move--living next door to a litigious celebrity may drive down her property values.
Somebody send this story to Rush. I don’t have his new address.
Go ahead and offend the bastard!!!
If this is indeed a historical zone, the addition to the home must have been months in the planning. Typically, the plans not only have to pass the usual zoning codes, but be approved by a second panel of historical codes. In all of this time, why didn't Miss Anderson ever mention to Keillor what her plans were? Granted, she doesn't have to, but he probably wouldn't have complained about it if he'd been asked beforehand. That's just being a good neighbor, really. When we changed the color of our exterior, we asked all of our neighbors for input. After all, they have to look at our house more than we do.
I live in an unofficial historical zone. I've seen additions like this done very well, and I have seen additions that are nothing but monstrous eyesores. Still, a man's home ought to be his castle. Screw the duke living next door.
He he he...that didn't help, did it?
Is this the nitwit on whose show the audience cheered when it was announced that Reagan had passed away? Or am I thinking of someone else?
I say finish the contruction project. It’s THEIR house, not Keillor’s. They should feel free to do whatever they want, within the law and edicts of historical preservation rules. Since they got the variance and approval to build, screw Keillor. They did the legwork and did what they had to do. Lori Anderson doesn’t owe Keillor anything.
generally a negative easement like what Keillor is trying to claim will not be allowed. If it were, residents of high-rise condos could sue to prevent construction of other buildings nearby that might interfere with their view, for example.
His house was in Architectural Digest years ago...and it’s GORGEOUS and BIG! He has a LOT of NERVE, but then he’s an UBER LIBERAL.
It’s at LEAST two stories...
He’s a POMPOUS ASS!
You can buy AIR RIGHTS.
Ramsey Hill, where all the women are shrill prigs, all the men are whiney libs, and all the neighbors are below average.
Since Keillor's home is worth twice as much as his neighbors, I'm wondering if Keillor's house already had all the updates and additions completed, but now that his home is done, he doesn't want to allow his neighbors to similarly update and build additions to their homes.
A city councilman, Mark Easton, lives in this neighborhood. He had a beautiful view of the east mountains, until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built.
Apparently, the new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance. Mark and his new neighbor had some great arguments about this as you can imagine - not great feelings. The new neighbor had to drop the roof line - no doubt at great expense.
Recently, Mark Easton called the city and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home. Mark didn't like the look of these vents and asked the city to investigate. When they went to Mark's home to see the vent view, this is what they found...
Mr. Keillor better beware ... jes sayin'.
LMAO!
He has the proverbial “face meant for radio...”
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